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White-winged Crossbill
Adult Male--Upper parts pinkish red; somewhat streaked with deep brown on the back; under parts pinkish red, shading into grayish on the belly; wings black, with white markings.
Adult Female--Upper parts dull greenish yellow, somewhat mottled with dark brown; under parts grayish yellow, with dark brown mottling; wings have white markings; tips of bills crossed. Length--6.05.
Breeding Range--From the Northern States, northward.
The nest is composed of "twigs and strips of birch bark, covered exteriorly with moss (Usnea) and lined with soft moss and hair, on the fork of an evergreen in deep forests."
The eggs are pale blue, rather thickly covered at the larger end with fine dots of blackish and lilac gray. Size--.80 x .56.
This is by no means so common a bird as its relative, the American or red crossbill, and but little is known of its breeding habits. During the present winter (1899-1900) these birds have been very common in South Orange, New Jersey, and have usually been seen in company of the American crossbill.